CVE-2020-36940: CD & DVD Cover Creator Buffer Overflow

CVE-2020-36940 Overview

CVE-2020-36940 is a buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator version 4.13. The vulnerability exists in the serial number input field, where the application fails to properly validate the length of user-supplied input. An attacker can exploit this flaw by generating a 6000-byte payload and pasting it into the serial number field, triggering an application crash and resulting in a denial of service condition.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can crash the Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator application by exploiting the buffer overflow in the serial number input field, causing denial of service.

Affected Products

• Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator version 4.13

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-27 - CVE-2020-36940 published to NVD
• 2026-01-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-36940

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input), commonly known as a classic buffer overflow. The Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator application does not implement proper bounds checking on the serial number input field during the software registration process. When a user inputs or pastes data into this field, the application copies the input into a fixed-size buffer without validating that the input length does not exceed the buffer's capacity.

When an oversized payload (approximately 6000 bytes) is provided, the input data overflows the allocated buffer space, corrupting adjacent memory regions. This memory corruption leads to application instability and ultimately causes the program to crash. While this particular vulnerability results in denial of service rather than arbitrary code execution, buffer overflows of this nature can potentially be leveraged for more severe attacks depending on the memory layout and exploitation techniques employed.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation in the serial number processing routine. The application allocates a fixed-size buffer for the serial number input but fails to implement proper boundary checks before copying user-supplied data into this buffer. This classic programming error allows data to be written beyond the intended buffer boundaries, corrupting the application's memory space and causing the crash.

Attack Vector

This is a local attack vector vulnerability requiring user interaction. An attacker must have local access to a system where Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator 4.13 is installed. The attack is executed by:

1. Launching the Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator application
2. Navigating to the registration or serial number entry dialog
3. Generating or preparing a payload of approximately 6000 bytes
4. Pasting the oversized payload into the serial number input field
5. The application crashes upon processing the malformed input

The attack does not require elevated privileges and can be triggered through normal application usage.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-36940

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes of the Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator application during registration attempts
• Application crash logs showing memory access violations or buffer overflow errors
• Unusual clipboard activity containing large payloads (6000+ bytes) prior to application crashes
• Windows Error Reporting events related to Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator crashes

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for repeated crashes of Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator processes on endpoint systems
• Implement application whitelisting to control execution of vulnerable software versions
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions that can identify buffer overflow exploitation attempts
• Review Windows Event Logs for application crash events related to the Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator executable

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Windows Error Reporting collection to capture crash dumps for analysis
• Monitor for the presence of Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator version 4.13 in software inventory
• Track application stability metrics to identify potential exploitation attempts
• Configure endpoint protection to alert on suspicious application behavior patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-36940

Immediate Actions Required

• Inventory all systems running Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator and identify installations of version 4.13
• Consider removing or disabling the affected application if not business-critical
• Restrict local access to systems where the vulnerable application must remain installed
• Implement application control policies to prevent unauthorized software execution

Patch Information

No vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. Users should check with the software vendor for potential updates or consider alternative software solutions. Additional technical details can be found in the Exploit-DB Advisory #49337 and the VulnCheck Advisory.

Workarounds

• Uninstall or disable Easy CD & DVD Cover Creator version 4.13 if the application is not required
• Restrict physical and remote access to systems with the vulnerable application installed
• Implement strict software installation policies to prevent deployment of vulnerable versions
• Consider using alternative CD/DVD cover creation software that is actively maintained and patched
• Apply defense-in-depth measures including endpoint protection and application sandboxing